Dear Parents,

Along with engaging learning and excitement around our school musical preparation there have been a number of special things that have brought joy to our community over the last fortnight.

The NED Show Inspires Students

Last week, our students were treated to the NED Show, a dynamic performance that blends storytelling, humour, and yo-yo tricks to convey a powerful message. The presenter, who brought a unique Christian perspective to the show, was highly impressed with our school, calling it the best she had visited. She noted the incredible engagement of all students, from Kinder through to Year 6, which speaks volumes about our students’ attentiveness and eagerness to learn.

The NED Show aligns perfectly with our school’s focus on mindset and well-being. It emphasises three key principles: Never give up, Encourage others, and Do your best. These principles resonate with our approach to teaching and personal development, encouraging students to adopt a positive mindset and support their peers.

Our students’ enthusiastic feedback reflected the show’s positive impact, with many sharing how the performance inspired them to embrace these values in their daily lives. One student mentioned how the message of perseverance encouraged them to tackle challenging tasks with renewed determination, while another appreciated the emphasis on encouraging others, a value they find essential within our school community.

We extend our thanks to the families who supported the sale of yo-yos. These sales are crucial as they enable the NED Show to be offered to schools worldwide at no cost, fostering a culture of giving and learning. This pay-it-forward approach ensures that more students can benefit from the valuable lessons the show imparts.

A Note of Appreciation from the Parish

We also received a heartfelt note from a local parishioner who commended our students’ prayerful attendance at Friday’s weekly Parish Mass. The message highlighted our students’ exemplary behaviour and reverence, attributing this to the thorough preparation by our teachers. The acknowledgment read, “Just a note to congratulate you, your staff, and students for their prayerful attendance at Friday’s weekly Parish Mass. The children are very well-behaved and most respectful. The teachers obviously prepare their pupils for this celebration of Holy Mass. It is wonderful to see. As an ex-teacher myself, I can see the effort that goes into preparing the children for this church celebration. Well done, St Joseph’s The Junction.”

We’ve shared this message with our staff and students, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Year 2 Shines in Fractured Fairytales Performances!

On Friday, our Year 2 students took the stage by storm with their delightful performances of Fractured Fairytales, bringing new twists to beloved classics like Rapunzel, Cinderella, and The Little Red Hen. The audiences, made up of proud parents, grandparents, and siblings, were thoroughly impressed by the students’ remarkable memorisation of lines, expressive delivery, and terrific acting abilities. Laughter filled the room as the students cleverly reimagined these traditional tales, and their creative props and costumes added to the enchanting atmosphere. Congratulations, Year 2 and Mrs McCalden and Miss Flaherty, on delivering such an entertaining and memorable show!

Lost Property Alert: Let's Work Together to Reduce It

We continue to see an alarming amount of lost property accumulating in our school playground and lost property box daily. Hundreds of dollars’ worth of clothing, drink bottles, and lunch boxes are being left behind. As part of our PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) expectations, we emphasise Care for All, and we ask that you help reinforce this at home by encouraging your children to take responsibility for their belongings.

Too much valuable time is being spent by staff and students checking for names and returning items, provided they are even labelled. It may be worth considering whether having multiple jackets, hats, and other items is leading students to be less mindful of their possessions, thinking that replacements are always readily available. Let's work together to ensure our students understand the importance of taking care of their belongings.

Police Crackdown on Traffic Offences at School Drop-off and Pickup

Last week, several parents were cautioned and some issued tickets during a police crackdown on traffic offences at our school. We’ve been informed that regular patrols will continue, so we strongly encourage all parents to follow traffic rules diligently. One Highway Patrol officer mentioned that a parent could have lost their licence due to multiple infringements, including using a phone while driving, parking over a driveway, and double parking.

We’re also seeing unsafe practices continue at the school crossing, such as parents not looking straight ahead after dropping off their children and some even performing U-turns, which poses serious safety risks for pedestrians and our crossing supervisor. Please remember to be good role models for our students and uphold our first PBL expectation: Act Safely. Please work together to ensure the safety of everyone in our school community.

Enjoy the preparations as a  family for the upcoming Book Week Character Parade, taking place on Friday.

Year 6 Canberra

Last term our Year 6 students undertook an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. 

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributed funding of $20.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs, this was taken into account when finalising costs prior to the annual billing process.

I can’t thank the staff enough, who came along with us, for basically working around the clock for three days, giving up their time with their families and their personal commitments and going above and beyond in caring for our students.  It certainly is a labour of love, and I am so very grateful to Leah Temple, Zoe Parish, Shannon Bailey, and Nicole Charnock for making this trip the success it was.

I would particularly like to offer our thanks to Mr Liam Bleakley, a SFX teacher who accompanied us. Mr Bleakley came along on this excursion as part of our combined transition program that we are implementing to better assist the students in their move to SFX next year.  The students got to connect with Liam, begin to form relationships with him and he got to know them as individuals. We feel this will put them in great stead for a relatively smooth transition across to SFX next year.

Warm regards, 
Karen

1 Gold – University of New England Practicum Student

St Joseph’s will be hosting a practicum student teacher from the University of New England in Weeks 5-8 of Term 3. Mr Cody Grimston is in his fourth and final year of his teaching degree, and this will be his fourth school placement. During his time at St Joseph’s, he will be observing lessons in the classroom, facilitating small group learning, teaching whole class lessons, completing playground duties and attending staff professional development meetings. We are grateful to 1 Gold and their teacher Miss Cook, who will work with Mr Grimston during his placement. We have so much to share here at St Joseph’s and it is great to see that we can nurture and build the future of our teaching profession in this way.  

Safeguarding - ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence

The theme of the day encourages all of us to take a stand together and recognise the important role that everyone plays to stop bullying.

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence has a new name—Bullying No Way: National week of action. Bullying No Way Week, 12 to 16 August 2024, is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative and connects schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying.

Purple is the new hero colour representing Bullying No Way: National week of action and our commitment to standing against bullying. The theme for 2024 is 'Everyone belongs'. When we all feel like we belong, bullying struggles to find a place. It's about embracing who we are, respecting everyone's differences and standing up together against unkindness.

Belonging means we all have a role in preventing bullying. We're encouraged to speak up and create a safe place where everyone feels supported and respected, and our voices are heard and valued.

To recognise the importance of this day, we celebrated with a brief assembly and an out of uniform day. Students wore purple to represent the importance of what this day means to all of us. Students have also participated in anti-bullying activities in their classroom across the week (see this week’s Wellbeing section for further details).

Source: https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/preventing-bullying/national-week-of-action

Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL)

This fortnight we are focusing on Being Respectful: Listen well and follow instructions. This may be a particularly useful discussion point for families at home. Below you will find a couple of links to videos which reinforce these concepts. Hopefully they are useful.

• Primary Students - Active Listening
• Infants Students - Active Listening

Students have been working hard to demonstrate these positive behaviours already this week and this is reflected in our current dash token tallies. The Red House is currently out in front. Our first half of Term 3 winners will be announced at the end of Week 5! Will Red House retain their lead?

Source: Chalkboard Superhero TpT

Mr Martin’s Environmental Awareness Challenge

Our groundsman, Mr Martin, is currently running an 'Environmental Awareness Competition’ with all classes over the next 3 weeks.

The large tree on our playground, surrounded by decking outside of the hall is very close to sprouting its first leaves of the season, and should do so, sometime within the next 3 weeks. Mr Martin has therefore asked each class to put forward their top 3 guesses for the date (within the next 3 weeks) when this will occur.

The class that guesses correctly or is closest to the correct date will be the winner! Mr Martin will reward the winning class with either a $2 canteen credit for each student or the class can choose to donate their winnings to the charity of their choice. We will announce the class winner in the weeks to come!

Nicole Charnock
Assistant Principal

Religious Literacy Test  

Every year, Year 6 students throughout the diocese take part in the Religious Literacy (RL) test. This year, the examination was today and marking will be conducted entirely through an online platform. The purpose of this test is to gauge the extent of religious literacy among our students and identify ways in which we can enhance their proficiency in this area. Like other essential literacies such as scientific, mathematical, and English literacy, we aspire for our students to complete their schooling with a strong foundation in religious literacy. 

The Assumption of Mary 

On Thursday, 15th August, we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with our parish community and Fr. John. This special day marks the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up to Heaven, body and soul, to be with her Son.  

Although this story isn't found in the Bible, it is a cherished tradition passed down from the early days of the Church. It’s believed that when Mary passed away, her body was placed in a tomb. But when the disciples later went to the tomb, they found it empty. The Church teaches that because Mary was so special in saying "yes" to becoming the mother of Jesus, God assumed her into Heaven. 

The Assumption of Mary is considered a "solemnity" in the Catholic Church. A solemnity is the highest rank of celebration in the Church, reserved for the most important events in our faith. These days are celebrated with special prayers, readings, and songs during Mass. 

It was a beautiful Mass, and we were grateful to share this moment with our school and parish families, reflecting on Mary's example of faith and love. 

Donna Morgan 
Religious Education Coordinator

National Science Week 

Source: https://moc.sa.edu.au/event/national-science-week-2024/

The theme for National Science Week in 2024 is Species Survival - More than just sustainability. The theme aims to highlight the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival and thriving of different species in an ever-changing world.

Students can access the National Science Week website to experience a variety of topics to investigate and dive into issues of particular interest to them: disease-causing organisms, life-saving chemicals, clean water, photosynthesis, genetic screening, physics of building structures, artificial intelligence, and microplastics.

The following activities are available for students to access:

• Acidic Oceans (Chemistry, climate change)
• Secret Sounds (Physics, sound waves, anatomy)
• Mini Greenhouse (Biology, agriculture)
• Suspended Bubbles (Chemistry, buoyancy, states of matter)
• Marshmallow Launcher (Physics, mechanics, design thinking)
• Make a Magnet (Physics, magnets, electronics)

There is a wide range of DIY activities available on the Science Week website which you can access right here  https://www.scienceweek.net.au/latest-news/

Source: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/resources/logos-graphics/

This is what our students at St Joseph’s are learning this term in Science and Technology:

Leanne Skinner 
Primary Coordinator and Pedagogical Mentor 

Polding Touch Football

Last week, Toby B travelled to Wollongong to represent thePolding Team in the NSW PSSA Touch Football tournament. His coach commended him for his outstanding sportsmanship and impressive skills, and we couldn’t be prouder. The Polding team delivered a series of strong performances over the three-day tournament, culminating in a commendable 7th place finish overall. Toby’s dedication and talent were truly on display, and his contributions played a significant role in the team’s success.

Polding Netball

This week, Lily G showed her prowess with the Polding Netball team in Penrith. Her exceptional performance and teamwork helped her team achieve an impressive result, finishing as equal runners-up among many formidable opponents. We are so proud of Lily for her outstanding sportsmanship and dedication, which earned her the well-deserved Player's Player Award for her team. Congratulations, Lily—your hard work and commitment truly shone through!

Diocesan Athletics Carnival

Last Wednesday, our athletic stars shone brightly at the Diocesan Carnival at the Glendale Athletic Track. Our St Joseph's students represented our school with pride, displaying exemplary behaviour, sportsmanship and manners to their teammates, competitors and officials, as we knew they would. We recognise all our competitors and congratulate the following students who have progressed to Polding.

We also congratulate our senior boys relay team – Evan B, Archie D, Oliver S, Vincent M- who placed first; our junior boys relay team – Aris J, Hudson S, Toby W, Finn C – who placed second; and our senior girls relay team – Jersey F, Adelaide M, Lily G, Maya V – who placed 4^th.

Netball Gala Day

On a drizzly August 12 Monday, 56 eager students, two SJM staff and a squad of parents headed to National Park to compete in the Netball NSW Schools Cup Competition. St Joseph’s entered six teams from Year 3-6, which included three girls teams, two mixed teams and one team of boys. Every player excelled on the day, played their best and demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship. There were many wins and several teams remained undefeated throughout the day. The senior girls ‘Diamonds’ team finished at the top of their division and will go on to the next round in Maitland in September. Every player should be extremely proud of the way they played and respected their fellow teammates, coaches, managers, umpires and opposition teams. A huge thank you goes out to those parents who found coaches, managers and umpires for each team. Your thorough organisation and support prior to and on the day was greatly appreciated. It was a great day, despite the rain at the end, and it was wonderful to see so many parents and grandparents there to cheer for the favourite players.  

Alison Collins and Hannah Butler 

NED Mindset Mission  

We recently had the privilege of NED’s Mindset Mission visiting St Joseph’s. Our performer, Shanika, led us on a growth mindset journey filled with positive messaging around the power of “yet”.  

The incursion inspired change in how our students face challenges, spark courage in others and adapt a willingness to always be learning and growing. 1 Blue summarised the experience perfectly with their reflection anchor chart! 

The incursion runs on a ‘pay it forward’ basis where profits from the yo-yo sale post show pays for the next school to have the NED experience. Thank you to all of our Joey’s families who purchased a yo-yo for their child/ren during the sale. Our community contributions will go towards funding the show for a Primary School in Byron Bay.  

For getting started with your yo-yo at home, please see the resources below. Additionally, here are a couple of follow up home resources from the Mindset Mission website. You may want to use these to reflect with your child as they are designed to go hand in hand with the program. 

NED Coloring Face Masks

Parent Encouragement Notes

Bullying No Way National Week of Action - Everyone Belongs 

This past week, our school proudly participated in the Bullying No Way National Week of Action, a crucial initiative that aligns with our ongoing commitment to creating a safe and supportive school environment that empowers student voice, participation and leadership. The week was filled with activities and discussions designed to educate and inspire our students to stand up against bullying and promote kindness and inclusivity. 

The Bullying No Way National Week of Action emphasised several key themes that resonate deeply with our school's PBL values: 

1. Respect and Inclusion through challenging stereotypes: The importance of respecting each other's differences and including everyone in school activities. Through role-playing, group discussions, and collaborative projects, students learned how their actions can positively or negatively affect their peers.
2. Empathy and Understanding: Activities were designed to help students understand the perspectives of others. By embracing diversity and celebrating our differences, our students become better equipped to recognise and support classmates who may be experiencing bullying or feeling isolated. 
3. Empowerment and Bystander Action: Encouraging students to be upstanders rather than bystanders by implementing strategies to safely intervene in bullying situations or seek help from a trusted adult. Empowering students to take action not only helps those being bullied but also builds a stronger, more supportive school community. 
4. Cyberbullying Awareness: With the increasing use of technology, students explored the impact of online behaviour and the importance of using digital platforms responsibly. 

We ended the week with an out of uniform day in this year's theme colour – purple. The new hero colour symbolises peace, strength and standing up against bullying behaviour in a bold way. The objective of this Bullying No Way Week was to encourage whole-school communities to work together to implement evidence-informed, positive and proactive solutions to prevent and address bullying and violence. 

Kids Helpline online bullying sessions continue for our students K-6 this term to consolidate learning around bullying. Start a conversation at home around help-seeking and accessing resources. 

SchoolTV 

Explore our SchoolTV platform on our school website to view a range of topics and resources in honour of this week's Bullying No Way National Week of Action. 

Bullying

Cyberbully 

Respectful Relationships 

Chloe Coe
Wellbeing Coordinator

Book Week is here!

The decorations are up and we are ready for an exciting time.

Here is our plan for each day:

It is going to be wonderful to see all the children engaged in activities focused on reading for fun!

Library Team

From the team that brought you 'Dream Big,' 'Just One More,' and 'An Unexpected Night at the Zoo,' St Joseph's Primary School Merewether proudly presents their fourth musical extravaganza!  'Tree Tales'

'Tree Tales' invites us into the Mythical Forest, where the Council of Mythical Creatures gathers to share stories from their travels and fables, helping each other understand the world we live in.

Listen closely... Can you hear that rustling in the trees? Was that the flutter of fairy wings? Is that Arthur humming?
The Council is almost here, and the meeting is about to begin...

Tickets for this exciting event are now available to purchase through the QR code attached OR by visiting Sticky Tickets.  To buy tickets for the evening session please scroll down the page for further events.  Please ensure you have purchased tickets for the correct session before checking out.

Due to limited seating, non school aged children do NOT require a purchased ticket, however will be required to sit on parents laps.

Further information and provision for you to provide consent for your child to attend has been posted in Compass and can be found on the Home page of the App.

School Musical Poster Competition

Check out these vibrant and imaginative drawings created by our talented students, from Kindergarten to Year 6! These artworks were submitted for our school musical poster competition, showcasing the incredible creativity of our young artists. Each piece tells a story, bringing the magic of our musical to life. Well done to all the students for their amazing contributions.

P&F Dates to Remember

Spring Ball - Saturday 14 September 

Father’s Day Breakfast & Liturgy - Friday 30 August

School Disco -  Thursday 17 October

Golf Day - Friday 15 November

Father's Day Breakfast

St Joseph’s School and the P&F are excited to invite our whole school community to come together to celebrate all the fathers, grandfathers and father figures in our lives on Friday 30 August.

Food will be served between 7.30am and 8.30am followed by the raffle and Liturgy.

Please complete the RSVP form by Monday 26 August, so that we can suitably cater for the event.

The P&F are calling on families to assist with prizes for the Father’s Day Raffle. If you are able to provide a donation or are able to acquire a donation from a local business you know, please email the details to admin@merewether.catholic.edu.au and they will forward the information to the P&F.

Thank you on behalf of St. Joseph’s and the P&F Committee

Spring Ball

Thanks to everyone who purchased a ticket to our main fundraiser for the year - the Spring Ball at Ravella on Saturday 14 September. If you missed out and still want to get a group of friends together, please contact the office ASAP (by end of August is our absolute cut off!), as we’d still love to accommodate you!

Call for donations

Th P&F would greatly appreciate any donations to the Spring Ball Auction and Father’s Day Breakfast raffle, if you can donate an item, please email admin@merewether.catholic.edu.au or sjpandf@gmail.com

We’re excited to announce some great Spring Ball auction items + prizes on offer which include:

• Accommodation package at No 7 Shoal Bay: Donated by the de Witt family. https://follo.com.au/listings/no-7-shoalhaven/.
• The Welders Dog pack: Donated by the de Witt family. https://www.theweldersdog.com.au/.
• Sellers Meats packs. Donated by the Cornish family and Sellers Meats.
• Reflections caravan park voucher. Donated by Scott McShane and Peter Chapman.

Thanks to our generous community/families for your kind donations so far!

School Photos - Tuesday 3 September

Due to a clash with Book Week Activities we have had to reschedule the day for our school photos.

Term Three Planner

Unless otherwise stated, the advertisements placed in this newsletter are placed by independent third parties who have no legal relationship with the Diocese.  The activities or services of the advertisers are not supervised or controlled in any way by the Diocese.  The Diocese is not in a position to endorse the advertisers or the services provided and makes no representation about those matters.  Accordingly, the Diocese cannot accept any responsibility for the advertisers or the activities or services that are the subject of these advertisements.